Why Flight Attendants Can’t Stand When You Use The ‘Call Button’ To Get Their Attention
Your soda can wait.
Kostiantyn Voitenko | Shutterstock Whether for a drink refill or a problem with their seatmate, most passengers assume that the flight attendants will assist them shortly, if not immediately, after they press the call button.
However, according to some flight attendants, there are only a few circumstances when it's truly appropriate to use the call button — and your dire need for more ice isn't one of them.
Many flight attendants cannot stand when passengers use the call button to get their attention.
While aboard a Delta flight from Atlanta to Boston, a passenger pressed his call button after he finished his first drink and was thirsty for a second. Five minutes later, a flight attendant came around and refused his request, as they were still serving passengers in the back of the plane.
She then warned him not to touch the call button again and never returned to deliver the passenger a second drink.
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The passenger, who shared his experience on Flyertalk, admitted that he flies with Delta every week and has never before had an issue with pressing his call button for a drink. He asked others if he had done something wrong, and while most people assured him that he hadn’t, some flight attendants begged to differ.
Natalie Magee, a content creator and flight attendant, was among them. She explained that she works for a regional airline that operates shorter flights and has fewer staff members on board.
“As a regional carrier, sometimes I’m the only flight attendant,” she said. “The FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] only requires one flight attendant per 50 people. So if there’s only 50 people or less, there is only one flight attendant.”
It can be overwhelming for one person to tend to the needs of 50 people, especially when they are all pressing their call buttons at once or within a few minutes of each other.
“Imagine if you were a bartender and in your establishment, you had 50 people come in, and you only had one hour to serve all these people, and you only had 20 minutes to get 50 people into your establishment and get them settled and then make sure they’re safe,” Magee said. “Each one of these 50 people wants something.”
Then, she encouraged viewers to imagine that they were on a ship tilting side to side while still expected to bring people their drink orders. As soon as you finish with the first five people and make your way to the next, the first five are already done and demanding refills, straws, or snacks to go with them — and you cannot ignore their requests despite how busy you are.
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This is pretty much a flight attendant’s world. No matter how insignificant a passenger’s request may seem, it is their job to answer the call buttons promptly and attentively.
“I’m not saying that this happens every flight, but sometimes you just get those people that are always hitting the call button,” Magee added. “That’s why it gets so annoying: you have a million other things you’re supposed to do.”
Magee also dropped a shocking fact about flight attendants and their true purpose: “We are not actually there to serve drinks. We are there to ensure your safety,” she said.
Of course, that's not entirely accurate. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, flight attendants are required to “provide routine services and respond to emergencies to ensure the safety and comfort of airline passengers.” Those routine services often include food and drinks.
Still, constant requests for food and beverages by pressing the call button is an understandable pet peeve of many flight attendants.
When is it truly appropriate to press your call button?
The truth is there is no right or wrong answer. When a passenger wants or need assistance, they have the right to press their call button and summon a flight attendant — whether it be for another drink or assistance in a medical emergency.
“There’s a reason why flight attendants are often reminded in training that a call light, ‘Could be a stroke, could be a Coke,’" Mateusz Maszczynski, who has worked in the airline industry for nearly 20 years, told Crew Insider. "You never know the reason why someone has pressed the call light."
However, there are still certain times when flight attendants will not be able to answer your call button right away for safety reasons, such as during take-off and landing where everyone must be seated. If it’s not an emergency, you may want to wait until they are free to move about the cabin.
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YourTango’s very own Micki Spollen, who also works as a flight attendant, commented on how passengers should use their call buttons during flights. She claimed that every reason passengers use their call buttons is a “valid reason,” but flight attendants prefer that they press them only in an emergency.
“At my airline, we're mandated to walk up and down the aisle every 10 minutes so we're always accessible to passengers for little things like tissues, drink refills, or answering questions," she explained, "so we don't love when people ring the call bells for those things."
While you may want a drink refill stat or a napkin to wipe down your tray table, it is best to wait until a flight attendant is walking the aisle and you can wave them over. A thirsty passenger can wait. A passenger who is having trouble breathing cannot.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.